


Hold Me Close

by TrueLoveWins



Category: Fear the Walking Dead (TV), The 100 (TV)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - The 100 (TV) Fusion, BAMF Elyza Lex, Clarke Griffin and Lexa in Love, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-28
Updated: 2020-07-15
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:20:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,454
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24959776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TrueLoveWins/pseuds/TrueLoveWins
Summary: An Elyza and Alicia AU set in the FTWD universe!Even the Zombie apocalypse cannot stand in the way of love. When the experienced Elyza Lex meets a strong willed brunette one dark night she never could have imagined how their futures would intertwine.Enjoy the story and leave a comment to let me know what you thought!
Relationships: Alicia Clark/Clarke Griffin, Elyza Lex/Lexa (The 100)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 29





	1. Chapter 1

Waves lapped lightly against the ships sides as Alicia sat on the main deck with the radio resting in her lap, carefully tuning the dials in hopes of finding a broadcast.

There wasnt much else to aboard the vessel and so she had taken the decision to make herself useful and attempt to tune in to any transmissions that could provide aid or shelter.

Escaping the blazing Los Angeles had been traumatic to say the least, but sharing this ship with the odd assortment of companions was going to be another task in itself.

Her mother and Travis occupied their time worrying about the what ifs, whilst her brother took position as Strands right hand man.

Alicia found solace in her own company, enjoying the freedom of the open ocean rather than remaining below deck with Chris or Ophelia.

Static crackled over the device as she twisted the dial carefully to the left, leaning her head closer to the speaker when a faint voice trickled into existence.

For a moment Alicia thought she had imagined it and gently adjusted the dial with great care until there was no denying the words lilting out from the radio.

She sat in stunned silence for a moment as the unknown voice treated her to musical renditions from the last decade, switching and changing between songs as if in some ongoing medley. It was beautiful. More importantly, it was from a living human that didn't occupy the boat and Alicia jerked to her senses when the singing ended abruptly and transitioned into audible speech.

'Thank you, thank you very much. My concert tour will be coming to a city near you very shortly.'

The voice fell out of existence for a few seconds and Alicia missed the next few sentences, her heart skipping a beat as she feared that it was lost forever.

'- you are out there, make sure to let me know how much you enjoyed the performance.'

Alicia lifted a hand to brush away the stray hairs that were caught in a sudden gust of wind, toying with the idea of responding to the woman's request as the voice fell silent in anticipation.

'Guess I'll tune back in tomorrow then.'

A light sigh drifted over the patchy audio. Clearly this wasn't the first time that the stranger had broadcast to the world only to receive no response in return.

'Elyza out.'

===============================  
Elyza stared up at the ceiling from where she lay on the double bed, her mind far from her current surroundings as she was caught up in memories of life before the apocalypse. Memories of joy, socialising, family, and love.

She mentally shook herself and focused once more on her surroundings, listening intently for any sign that the neighbourhood walkers were taking an interest in her hideout.

The bed creaked lightly as she sat upright, breathing a sigh of relief when the distant groans faded into silence. She had been lucky this time, perhaps not for much longer.

Memories of the past would do no good in this new world. A world of death destruction, and survival. Here she was alone in a three bed house that had once held such happiness, yet now it was merely a cage that kept the predators at bay.

Elyza sighed and left the comfy bed in favour of the small chair in the corner, dropping down into the plump cushions that cradled her weight.

With the daylight beginning to pour through the window, she picked up the book that lay abandoned on the small table beside her, flicking through the brittle pages to where she had last finished the chapter.

A fleeting thought lifted her eyes from the book and drew her gaze towards the radio which rested resolutely on the floor. She hadn't broadcast in a few days now but the constant silence on the other end was a deafening reminder that perhaps she was alone in the world. A possibility that she was not yet ready to face.

Despair tinged her thoughts and she brushed away any notion of using the technology today, instead returning to the old book which was creased and torn with age. Perhaps it would provide a much needed distraction from the reality of her life.

===============================  
Alicia paced the deck anxiously, hands stuffed into jacket pockets to deter the cool sea breeze.

The radio had been silent for almost a week now and she found herself wondering what fate had befallen the gifted singer. She had come to enjoy her daily routine of relaxing to the melodic tunes, chuckling to herself at the terrible jokes, and wishing that she had the courage to respond when the request came.

Every time she had remained silent. Now she wished that she had not.

With a regretful sigh the girl threw herself down into the chair, resting her head back as she wondered what she wouldve said to the stranger.

Perhaps she would have complimented the singing, asked questions about life on the mainland, or even broken down in the knowledge that they were not alone in the world.

Her eyes were soon drawn back to the radio and, as she had for the past two weeks, drew the device onto her lap and tuned it to the correct frequency. She waited with anticipation in hope that the beautiful voice would break through the static once more, but there was nothing. Only silence.

'Alicia! Come and get some food before it's all gone,' Madison called from the dining area, poking her head out moments later when her daughter didn't appear.

'Save me some for later, I'm not hungry.'

Her mum frowned and was likely about to say more when Travis spoke softly from behind her and the blonde head disappeared reluctantly back inside. Alicia was thankful that he could speak sense to her mother, not in the mood to deal with her lectures at that time.

She half heartedly flicked through the stations without interest, growing tired of the sharp static that only added to her deteriorating mood. In one last attempt to reconnect, she returned to the woman's frequency of which she had memorised to heart.

Her grievances were forgotten when the static cleared to reveal the voice that she had never thought to hear again.

'-haven't been as regular recently, but hey, it's the apocalypse so I'm sure you'll forgive me. If anyone's even out there.'

Alicia felt the seconds drag by as she recognised her window of oppurtunity narrowing. There was no telling if this woman would be broadcasting again or radio silent for another month. She had to act.

Her hand shook almost unnoticeabley as she released the handset from its holder and slowly lifted it to her mouth.

'I'm here.'

===============================

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter! One of many to come. Please leave a comment and let me know what you thought! Comments motivate me to keep writing and show me that there is interest in the story so let me know your** **thoughts** **and theories :)**

**See you for the next chapter!**


	2. I Will Find You

'Is it safe there, where you are?'

Alicia waited patiently as the radio fell silent, hoping for a positive response but not expecting one.

'Nowhere is safe anymore,' Elyza finally responded, a light tone to her voice as she attempted to brush the question aside.

The vague answer did not escape the brunettes attention and she sat upright on her bed, a frown creasing her brow at the clearly evasive attitude. They had been speaking privately to each other for a number of weeks now and not once had the stranger ever managed to convince her that she was not in any immediate danger. 

'I'm serious Elyza, are you safe?'

'I'll be fine, you don't have to worry about me.'

The door to Alicia's room opened before she could press further and she hurriedly flicked the radio off and stared back innocently at her mother's sudden entrance.

'You've been in here for three hours,' Madison began, clearly suspicious of her daughters absence.

'I was sleeping. Don't tell me I missed something interesting?'

Her mother stepped further into the room, ignoring the question as she glanced at the radio. 

'Did you find anything?'

A silence fell between mother and daughter as each attempted to gain the advantage until finally Alicia sighed defeatedly. 

'I've been talking to someone, she says that-'

'We told you about this Alicia!' her mom interrupted, unable to believe how reckless her daughter was being. 'You have no idea who you're really talking to.'

Without missing a beat, the blonde woman stepped forward and scooped up the radio from the surprised girl, yanking it away even as she reached out to reclaim the device.

'Hey!'

'You didn't tell them about us did you? What have you told them?'

Alicia stuttered a response as she watched her hopes of connecting with the stranger drifting further out of reach. 

'No..no of course not, but-'

'No Alicia, I won't hear it. We told you not to engage with anyone.'

Madison stormed out of the room, radio grasped tightly in hand with her daughter rushing behind, protests streaming from her lips even as they emerged into the dining area. Heads turned to look their way but neither paid any attention to the curious glances. 

'Mom! You don't understand, she doesn't have anyone else, I-'

Madison deposited the radio on a marble counter and whirled on her daughter. 

'That's what they say to gain your trust, to draw you in! Don't you see that?'

Travis slowly approached the arguing women with caution, laying a soothing hand on Madison's arm as he attempted to understand what was happening. 

'What's this about?' he inquired in a gentle voice, his gaze switching between the two woman as he waited for one of them to answer him. 

'Alicia has been conversing with a stranger on the radio,' the blonde mother finally explained, her posture tense as she prepared for the argument that this would spark with her daughter but surprisingly the admission was met with only silence. 

'Alicia, you know how dangerous that can be,' Travis directed calmly at the young woman, 'people can't be trusted in a time like this, they only look out for themselves.'

The whole room held it's breath as it waited for the furious eruption from the stubborn brunette, even Strand was watching with a quirked eyebrow but said nothing. To everyone's surprise Alicia merely nodded, somewhat reluctantly, but refused to be drawn into another family argument.

'You're right, it was stupid and dangerous,' she admitted, ducking her head despondently. 'I'm sorry.'

Madison stared back at her daughter for a long moment as she considered the unexpected apology but eventually stepped forwards to embrace the girl. 

'Thank you for understanding,' she said softly, stepping back as Travis clapped his hands together and proclaimed that it was time start cooking a meal, allowing the tense situation to dissolve. 

Madison stepped back and subtly placed the radio in the low cupboard, not needing to vocalise to her daughter that it was no longer available for use. 

Alicia ducked out of the dining area as soon as she was able to, leaving behind the futile attempts at conversation as if they hadn't all been stuck on this boat for the last month together. She threw herself down on her bed once more, this time without the radio, and blew out a frustrated sigh as she gazed up at the ceiling. 

Little did her mother know that the two girls had indeed shared some semblance of location in their many conversations and Alicia had a vague idea of just where this stranger was living. She had subtly been slipping the location into conversations with the crew members for weeks now and finally her efforts had paid off. 

Strand and her brother had concocted the original idea of docking to investigate Tijuana, a border city in Mexico, to find necessary supplies. In all fairness it had already been on a list of potential locations that had been discussed, a careful word here and there had only brought the focus to that particular city. 

In two days they would be arriving at the city to scavenge for resources and Alicia planned to be amongst those who ventured onto land. That required the perception of trust with her mother most prominently and so it had not been worth the consequences to argue with her over the radio. Very soon she would be able to find this stranger herself and prove to her family that not everyone was a danger. 

Alicia smiled into the pillow and allowed her mind to wander at the prospect. 

Wherever Elyza Lex was, whatever she was doing, soon Alicia would be able to put a face to the renowned name. 

**===========================================================================**

**Thanks for reading this chapter, let me know what you thought!**   
  



	3. Lost and Found

Alicia found herself accompanying her brother, Ofelia, and Daniel on a supply run just as she had planned. Her mother and Trevor were consumed with their mission to save Chris from himself and so had remained on the ship to talk some sense into the boy. It was no huge loss. 

Tijuana was a large city but here on the outskirts they were in less danger from being overwhelmed by the undead. It was odd to be back on land after spending so much time at sea but it was a welcome change. 

'We will meet back here in an hour,' Daniel instructed gruffly before he and Ofelia peeled away to the right whilst Nick and Alicia were assigned the leftmost stretch of land. 

The residential borough provided a wealth of homes to be searched for supplies that would hopefully last them some time at sea without having to dock for a while. The sea was not safe by any means but it held less danger from the undead that roamed the land. 

The siblings searched the first house together before Alicia called out to her brother innocently. 

'Hey Nick? I'm going to scout out the rest of the street but I'll meet you back here later?'

Her brother waltzed into the living room with his hands already full, smirking triumphantly at the discovery. 

'I haven't even started on upstairs yet,' he declared, shoving the supplies into his bag before addressing his sisters comment. 'Sure, but I bet you right now that I'll have a full bag of supplies before you.'

Alicia grinned at the playful challenge and gently shoved her brothers arm as she passed by. 

'Yeah right, we'll see about that,' she huffed, pausing at the doorway when her brother called out at the last moment. 

'Alicia, just be careful.'

She kept her expression neutral and didn't let the easy smile fall. 

'You too.'

Before the pang of guilt in her chest could give her away, Alicia ducked out of the house and ventured further down the street at a fast pace. There was no time to waste. She had expected to feel nervous striking out by herself, but there was only an ache of anticipation that she could finally meet this girl in person. 

She crept along the street edges as she searched for any landmarks that would help to locate the girl, desperately remembering the many conversations they had shared that might shed light on her surroundings. 

Walkers roamed the streets unaware of their potential prey as she dodged between vehicles and maneuvered away from their lurching path. It was excruciatingly slow progress but one wrong blunder would mark an end not only to her search, but to her life. 

The unmistakable tone of massing walkers reached Alicia's ears and propelled her along with more caution, a shadow on the landscape as she scanned the buildings. It would be a lie to say that she was not nervous but this was her only shot. 

She turned left at the next junction, the chorus of groans far too close for comfort but the risk paid off when she glimpsed the road before her, heart skipping a beat as relief flooded her body. 

A small park lay at the very end of the road, the grass rising in swathes without the necessary care and attention it had once received. It could have been just any other park, but Alicia recalled a conversation where the girl had described her dangerous supply raid. 

Elyza had passed the park and an abandoned church on her journey, a church that she specifically mentioned as being covered in graffiti. Alicia advanced along the street expectantly, easily locating the large building and the high surrounding wall which had been vandalised with spray paint. 

_In God We Trust._

Alicia observed the scrawled sentence in the very centre of the swirls of black paint, even as Elyza's words resonated in her head. 

' _In God We Trust. There was random artwork all over the wall but next to it there was a list of names, the children who had been lost.'_

_Elyza's voice faded away._

_'Are you okay?' Alicia asked after a long few moments, sympathising with how the girl had to deal with these impossible times by herself._

_'...Yeah...yeah it was just sad.'_

Alicia felt the same pang in her chest as she followed the swirls of black paint and found herself stood before a neatly aligned list of names, lifting a hand to hover over the fading letters. There was no telling whether they had ever been reunited with their families again but she could only hope that some of them had been fortunate. 

It suddenly hit her that she was stood right where Elyza had once been, taking in the same sight and sensations. It was surreal. The sudden thought shook her from the stupor and she turned away from the fading text. She was close. 

The moaning of walkers grew in volume as she continued down the street, turning right at the very end only to walk straight into a nightmare. 

A horde of walkers were streaming along the wide street, drawn by the cries of their fellow undead. The main concentration of bodies surrounded a single house, withered arms clawing desperately at boarded windows and locked doors as the frenzied mass grew in strength.

Alicia could hardly believe what she was seeing, at first hoping that she had made a mistake and this was not Elyza's hideout. She remained hidden behind an abandoned car, ducking her head low to avoid detection as she observed the building that was under attack. 

She forgot how to breath for a moment when her attention was caught by the house opposite the walkers, observing the shrivelled remnants of the once welcoming home. 

' _Whoever lived opposite me went out in style,' Elyza commented, peering between the dusty boards as she held the radio close. 'When the dead rose they must have burnt the place to the ground to destroy the remains. Not a great view for me though, it wasn't my preferred choice of hideout but what can you do.'_

Alicia sunk back against the wall behind her for a moment, drawing in a deep breath as she considered the situation. It was highly likely that the girl had managed to escape the attack, but it was equally likely that she hadn't and was still trapped within the very heart of this nightmare. 

Either way there was little to be done. Alicia had no real backup, certainly not enough to face this growing horde. If anything, she would be lucky to escape unscathed without even attempting to infiltrate the house. 

Her first irrational thought was to charge to the house and call for Elyza to see if there was any response. It would certainly distract the walkers from their task but it was immediately dismissed. Her odds of survival were low enough as it was. 

Her second, more logical thought was that the girl had somehow survived. From their many conversations it hadn't been difficult to deduce that she was more than adept at surviving in this harsh new world and most likely had prepared for this eventuality. It was the most reasonable conclusion to draw as well as the most comforting. 

Alicia glanced back at the scene once more, confirming that there was no way for her to enact a rescue mission if there was anyone inside. It would be suicidal. Retreat was the only option but it left the larger question of where the girl had now gone? It struck Alicia that perhaps her luck had run out, that she would never be able to find the mystery girl now that she had been forced from hiding. It was a difficult reality to process. 

She had no more time to dwell on it when her senses eventually tuned into the present reality that the chorus of moans was no longer only coming from the walkers in front of her on the dangerous street but rather behind her. 

Her head whipped around frantically to observe another wave of walkers approaching from the street she had only moments ago been walking along so reminiscently, their groans joining the cry of the undead as the sound reverberated throughout the girls skull. 

She instantly scolded herself for not being more aware of her surroundings. It was the first rule of venturing onto land; always make sure your escape route is clear. She had failed to do so and now had to adopt a less technical strategy. Run. 

There was no cutting through the throng of walkers without being scratched or bitten so her only hope was to detour around them and back to relative safety where she could locate her brother and return to the ship. It sounded easy enough but it never seemed to work out that way. 

Shouldering the rucksack onto her back, Alicia shot to her feet and dashed out from behind the stationary vehicle, her heart racing as the sound merged with the pounding of her feet against the concrete in a desperate bid to manoeuvre away from the danger. She tore her eyes from the advancing horde and surged along the street, frantically searching for an unoccupied route that would lead her back to shore. 

Despair began to blossom in her chest as every junction brought nothing but endless waves of walkers. She twisted and turned towards junctions countless times until eventually becoming uncertain of what direction she had even been coming from in the first place. 

The situation appeared hopeless and she only had a matter of moments to act. 

Returning to her brother appeared to be a hopeless task, there was no way she could fight through the crowd of walkers with nothing but a small knife. Hastily unzipping the bag, she grasped at the flare gun that was resting atop her supplies, lightly hovering a finger over the trigger as she glance up at the approaching walkers. 

Her back up plan was to fire the flare and alert her family to her location and the danger that she was in, having no choice then but to flee the scene and find a safe place to hide until the undead dispersed and she could reunite with her family. There was no going back once she had done this and certainly no guarantee that they would even find her again. She had to be completely sure that this was the correct decision. 

One final glance around at the advancing horde confirmed her lack of options and left only the distant hope that this could work. Without any time to lose, she lifted her arm and directed the gun towards the sky as Strand had directed them in one of their many survival lessons, sucking in a deep breath before she pulled the trigger, wincing at the loud boom resonating as the bright red sparks rocketed into the air. 

Her head was clouded for a moment, recovering from the sudden overwhelming of her senses as she paused to allow a few seconds to pass before releasing the second flare behind the first. The intended idea was to capture the attention of anyone in the vicinity and to increase their chances of finding her. Alicia could only hope that it would be enough. 

With shaking hands she let the now worthless gun fall to the ground and returned the bag to her back in one swift movement before darting into a wild sprint once more as she attempted to escape this deadly scenario.

For one ludicrous moment she found herself grinning as adrenaline rushed through her body a bubble of laughter forcing from her throat as a brief thought flitted through her head. 

The boom of the flare gun would most certainly have distracted the walkers from their ongoing effort to break into Elyza's hideout and the potential prey inside. She had inadvertently achieved what she had first considered to be impossible. 

Alicia soon abandoned the humour as her legs and chest ached from the exertion, not risking a glance back to confirm that she was out of harms way. She just had to keep going, wherever it took her. 

=============================================================================

Elyza pulled the pick up truck over to the side of the road after only a short time driving, well aware that she was running on fumes and would not be going much further without more fuel. 

The undead had been growing in number in her area as if instinctively aware of her presence and intent on devouring her. She had not intended to hang around long enough for that to happen, firing shots from her gun in quick succession to draw the attention of the vicious walkers before sneaking out of the back entrance and fleeing to the truck that she had left on the adjacent street. 

It would have been the perfect escape plan had she realised just how low on fuel the vehicle was, barely making it a few miles before the gauge crept towards empty. 

Elyza hopped down from the drivers seat, sweeping her surroundings for any sign of the undead but thankfully found her passage clear. For now. She quickly located a second vehicle that still contained fuel and began the process of siphoning the fuel back into her truck. 

It wasn't the most pleasant task but certainly a necessary one. 

She let her head fall back and closed her eyes briefly as she waited for the process to finish, letting her thoughts wander. It was surprisingly sad to be abandoning her hideout, despite only having been stationed there for a few days shy of a month. Although it was difficult to tell if that was truly what was causing her sorrow or whether it was more closely associated by the recent loss of contact with her long distance friend. 

For months now she had spent her days looking forward to the next time that they would speak, her mind clearer and heart lighter as she found herself able to share these terrible times with a fellow survivor. Their situations were polar opposite but it had been an unexpected relief to even just converse with another human again after so long. 

This girl, Alicia, had a way of making the blonde woman smile in a way that she never thought she would again. This apocalypse had the ability to break weaker souls, but Elyza was not one to be held by the will of the universe. For whatever reason, communication from the mysterious girl had fallen silent a few days earlier and Elyza was reluctant to consider why. 

It was difficult enough to hear nothing but the sharp crackle of static on her radio each night without imagining whatever horrific ordeal that may have befallen the girl. She wondered if they would ever be fortunate enough to speak to each other again. 

With a mumbled string of curses Elyza withdrew the hose from her tank which had been moments away from overflowing, shaking the distracting thoughts from her mind. Right now she had to focus on survival and nothing more. 

Returning the items to her truck, she quickly hopped back into her seat and released a long sigh, bracing her arms against the steering wheel and letting her head fall back against the headrest. This felt like a new beginning, tearing herself away from the world that she had come to know and starting afresh once more with the same dangers haunting her waking days. Perhaps one day she would stop running. 

With the danger of oncoming walkers growing stronger by the second, Elyza had no choice but to ignite the engine and prepare for departure, leaving behind the memories that she had made in this quaint neighbourhood. There was no telling where she would end up next. 

A faint boom erupted and caught Elyza's attention as she prepared to accelerate, for a long moment confusing the sound for her own engine until she glanced into the rear view mirror and frowned when she glimpsed the flashing red projectile that had been launched into the sky. She twisted in the seat to better see the flare through her rear window, shocked into silence that anyone would be so foolish as to use one with the undead crowding through the city. 

A second flare erupted moments later and Elyza watched it spark high into the sky, erupting into a hypnotising display of light before slowly descending back down to earth. It must have originated from her now overrun neighbourhood, she realised, her heart sinking as she came to terms with what this meant. 

Whoever had released the flare was now dealing with the consequences of her erupting gunfire and the swarming undead that would have been attracted by the unmistakable sound. This poor soul would have to be fast thinking and even faster on their feet to escape the neighbourhood without injury or death. 

Elyza turned back to the front and clenched the steering wheel tightly in frustration, her eyes fixed ahead on the clear road that marked her escape from the deadly situation. She could drive away right now, leave these dark memories behind her and never think of such things again but she could not, she was only human after all. 

Perhaps if she had been heartless or so broken by the apocalypse then she may have driven away without a second thought, without guilt or sorrow for the nightmare unfolding behind her, but Elyza was stronger than that. She had to at least try. 

Before she could change her mind, the blonde girl wrenched the steering wheel around and spun her truck around towards the still visible flare, determination tightening her expression as she pressed the accelerator flat to the floor. There was no time to waste, a life depended on it. 

========================================================================== 

**Let me know what you thought in the comments! It's very motivating to continue writing and developing the story :)**


	4. An Explosive Entrance

This was not how she was going to die. Alicia refused to believe that she had come so far only to lose so much. She hadn't even been able to locate the mysterious girl from the radio and here she was, about to overrun by the undead with the knowledge that her family would never know or understand what had happened to her. 

Her energy had long since burnt away, weeks of stationary life aboard the boat had done little to prepare her for such exertion and still the undead continued to swarm. The tide was never ending. Alicia turned one corner to escape the grasping hands only to be met by a similar nightmare, forcing her to choose between the two evils. It was less of a choice and more of a depressing acceptance that there was no escape from this hell. 

Heavy rasping breaths hitched from her chest as she wielded a small knife with little confidence, her only weapon against the circling walkers. Fear prickled beneath her skin as realisation dawned over the girl. There was no way out of this one. Seconds dragged by as she could do nothing but stand helplessly awaiting her fate as she stared into the face of overwhelming odds. There were hundreds of them and there was no back up on the way. She was alone. 

Alicia recognised a lost cause when she saw one, that was until the roar of a distant engine reached her ears. At first she thought it might be a figment of her imagination, a brief fantasy of hope that could never be. Except the noise only grew in volume until she could no longer deny its existence. 

Whirling on the spot, her dismay morphed into elation when she saw a truck hurtling its way down the street, white flashes of metal protruding from large wheels that ripped through any flesh unfortunate enough to stray into its path. Walkers fell with harsh gurgles as the driver sped through the massing crowd without second thought, yanking hard on the wheel and almost spinning the car to a stop in front of the bewildered brunette. 

Alicia couldn't help but gape in surprise as she witnessed the virtual battle tank that the vehicle had been modified into. Deadly spikes had already torn through immeasurable numbers of walkers, the once shining metal now drenched in a disturbing shade of violence. Metal plates acted as reinforcement whilst chain link fences covered the windows and lights for added protection. The steel bars covering the car grill explained why the driver had been so confident ramming through such a confined group of walkers. 

The drivers door flew open before Alicia had time to observe any further detail, her mind still processing the miraculous appearance when a stranger leapt from the front seat, each hand gripping a semi-automatic that she instantly began to unload into the mass of walkers. It was like nothing Alicia had ever seen. Blonde hair cascaded down over the shoulders of a leather jacket, the figure dressed all in black as if an omen of destruction for the unsuspecting walkers. 

The blonde stranger fired shots in all directions, taking down the closest of the undead before shooting a frustrated glance in the brunettes direction. 

'Get in the car!' 

The harsh cry ripped Alicia from her trance and terror jolted her into action, rushing in a ducked stance towards the waiting vehicle with barely a second thought. It was an easy decision to make when it was between the armed stranger or certain death from walkers. 

Throwing herself into the passenger seat, Alicia hurriedly slammed the door shut and cast a wild glance through the back window with wide eyes to glimpse the murky figure of the blonde woman through the now smeared glass. The booming echo of gunshots had paused now that Alicia was somewhat safely inside the vehicle but the stranger wasn't finished yet. 

Elyza retreated back to the vehicle, never once turning her back on the walkers even when she reached out to partially open her door. She didn't even risk a glance inside, keeping her attention primed on the walkers with weapons at the ready. 

'Open the glove box and hand over the weapon,' she instructed steadily, hoping to buy them a few more seconds to make an impressive escape from this hellish situation. It was going to be close but she would be damned if this would be how she went out. 

Alicia paused for the briefest of moments at the request, but a gruff exclamation from the tense blonde spurred her into action. She recognised the dire circumstances and rapidly complied, reaching forwards to haul open the small covering and blindly jammed a hand inside. There was only one object inside, much to her relief, and she grasped it determinedly before realising exactly what she was passing over to the stranger. 

Before she could voice any concerns or even comprehend what she had just done, she glanced up as the blonde girl recoiled her arm back and launched the object with immense force towards the gathered walkers. 

In a rapid movement the girl jumped into the vehicle, tossing one weapon into the backseat with the other holstered at her hip, slamming the accelerator to the floor without pause when a resounding explosion resonated from the area behind them. Without a backwards glance, Elyza steadied the wheel and narrowed her eyes determinedly as both girls were thrown back in their seats by the force of the sudden acceleration. 

Any walkers in close vicinity were virtually shredded as the vehicle ploughed through their ranks, defenceless against the sheer ferocity of the modifications that had certainly saved two lives that day. A triumphant smile began to curve the blondes lips as they burst free from the swarming bodies and were greeted with the pleasant sight of a clear road, save for the odd rambling walker that had been drawn by the commotion. It was nothing compared to the horror that had been left behind. 

Elyza slowly allowed the tension to fall away as her confidence returned, easing off the accelerator ever so slightly as the imminent danger passed. The explosion would hopefully disorientate at least some of the walkers and give them the much needed opportunity to distance themselves from any that could follow. Her passenger was not quite so reassured, comparatively wide eyed and rigid with shock as they tore away from the nightmare scene. 

The roar of the engine was broken only by the relieved exhale of the driver as she thanked all fortunes that they had survived the encounter. She was only partially aware of the girls presence beside her as she focused on maintaining a safe path along the narrow streets, only daring to glance over at the stunned brunette as they emerged onto a wider stretch of road that marked their escape from the residential buildings. 

'Was that a grenade?' Alicia finally uttered, one hand tightly gripping the arm rest as her heart pounded in rhythm with the thrumming engine. The words burst from her lips before she had even registered the thought, her chest tight and head spinning from the astonishing speed of their escape.

Elyza couldn't help but grin, partly in relief that they had survived, but largely in response to the bewilderment that was beginning to spread across her passengers face. She wondered for a moment whether the girl might faint, glimpsing the pale, taut expression from the corner of her eye. 

'I'm Elyza, heroine and daredevil of the apocalyptic world. Welcome aboard. It's gonna be a wild ride.'

============================================================================

**Thanks for reading this chapter! I hope you enjoy reading this story as much as I love writing it!**

**Your comments really motivate me to write faster and more frequently so let me know what you thought.**

**Just a short chapter for now but plenty more to come!**


End file.
